HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION FOR EDUCATION IN NIGERIA (1976 -2011): IMPLICATION FOR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

This paper is a trend analysis of the constitutional provisions of education in Nigeria and examines the implication for educational administration. It traces the educational laws from 1882-2010. Before 1914 there was relatively no clear direction of the British colonial administration. With the amalgamation in 1914 the British government introduced the indirect rule system in Nigeria and Lord Luggard’s administration emphasized on secular education mostly in northern Nigeria, this might have led to the gap in the level of educational development between the south and the north. This has implication for both administration and policy formulation, in Nigeria, by the early 1950s, with the regional government in place; various regions were able to enact laws for the development of education in these regions. These laws were made to suite the various socio-cultural, economic situations of these regions, these led to the 1969 curriculum conference and the subsequent implementation of the National Policy on Education. The policy sought to introduce a functional technology based education which would sustain the economy. These Nigerian experiences have a lot of implication for educational administrators, who should be aware of the local attributes or peculiarities of the Nigerian society. Our educational policies should be able to promote unity, equity and overall development of education.